Hatchway-cover fastening.



No. 677,604. Patented my 2, |901. H. l. SMITH.

HATCHWAY COVER FASTENING.

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FFlCE@ HENRY I. SMITH, BUFFALO, NEWVYORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES P. WALSH, OFV SAME PLACE.

HATCHWAY-GOVER FASTENING.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of lLetters atent No. 677,604, dated July 2, 1901.

Application sied April 18,1901.

.Tov @ZZ whom, t may concern/A: Y

Be it known that I, HENRY I. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hatchway-Oover Fastenings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of fastening devices for hatchway-covers which comprise fixed members projecting from the side of the coaming or raised frame around the edge of the hatchway and movable clamps which engage with the fixed members and clamp the hatch-cover and also the battensto hold the canvas or tarpaulin which is usually stretched over the hatch-cover.

One object of my invention is to provide fastening device which can be quickly secured and released.

Another object is to so construct the fastening device that it is compact and presents no protruding parts when in clamping position.

A further object is to reduce the size of the fixed members, so that when the movable members and the hatchway-cover are removed the fixed members will offer but slight obstructions about the coaming.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fastening device in clamping position, the hatchway, coaming, cover, tarpaulin, and hatten being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View showing the parts in the same position. Fig. 3 is a similar vertical section showing the clamp released. Fig. et is a front elevation with the lower part of the clamp in section on linefl 4, Fig. 3, looking toward the left. Fig. 5 is a front elevation ofA the device in the clamping position. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a hatchway-cover secure by my improved clamping devices.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the deck of a vessel; ct, the coaming; l), the hatchway-cover; c, the canvas or tarpaulin, and cl the batten for clamping the latter. A series of clamping devices are employed to clamp the cover and canvas to the coaming; but as they are duplicates of one another only one will be described in detail. The fixed member of each device is comlot'ed thereto by a transverse pin Serial No. 56,412. (No model.)

posed of a lug E, projecting from the coaming o and secured thereto by a screw-stem e. The lug has'its lower face provided with a beveled end portion e'. Q It has a shoulder e2 in its upper side near its outer end and a transverse notch or recess e3 in its upper side in rear of said shoulder. The front wall e4 of the recess is inclined rearwardly.

Each movable member ofthe fastening device comprises an upright bracket F, having a clamping-plate f extending laterally from the upper end thereof. The shank of the plate is preferably adjustably bolted to the web f of the bracket between the side flanges f2 thereof. A rectangular aperture f 3 is formed in the web f, near the lower end thereof, through which the lug E projects when the clamping-bracket has been placed in position. The outer face of the web f directly above said aperture is beveled or inclined rearwardly in a direction corresponding to the inclined Walle4 of the recess e3 in the lug E. This bevel]c4 above the upper edge of the aperture f3 engages agaiustthe inclined front side of the not-ch e3, and the bracket is crowded by these wedging-faces toward the coaming When the bracket is forced down. The batten interposed between the back of the bracket and the coaming is thereby pressed against the coaming to securely clamp the canvas or tarpaulininterposed between the same. The downward movement of the bracket brings the clamping-plate f firmly down upon the hatch-cover. The bracket is forced down by means of a lever l, which is arranged withits lower end between the side iianges of the bracket near the bottom of the latter and piv- This lever hasits short arm 2 provided with a curved face i3, which engages against the beveled face e of the lug E when the lever is swung upwardly to force the bracket down. The lever is provided in its long arm outside of the bearing-face of the short arm with an opening 4, through which the end of the lug E projects when the lever is closed against the bracket.

For securing the hatchway-cover the latter andthe tarpaulin and batten-strips are first placed in position and the clamping-brackets are placed on the lugs E with the clamping-le- IDO vers I projecting from the brackets, as shown in Fig. 8. The brackets enter the recesses of the lugs with their tapering portions f4, and are thereby held in position on thev lugs. They are held in an upright position and prevented from turning on the lugs by the snug iit of said lugs in the apertures of the brackets. To tighten the clamps, the lever I of each clamp is swung upwardly and inwardly. This brings the shortarm of the lever to bear against the under side of the lug and by the continued :inward movement of the lever draws the bracket down until the clampingplate bears firmly upon the hatchway-cover. Simultaneously the bracket is forced toward the coamin g by the engagement of its beveled face f4 with the inclined wall of the notch in the lug, whereby the hatten-strip is pressed against the coarning and the interposed canvas or tarpaulin is clamped in place. When the lever has been closed against the bracket, it rests between the side flanges of thebracket, as shown in Figs. l and 2, with its outer side substantially iush with the side flanges. In its tightened position the clamping device is very compact and forms but a slight obstruction around the coaming.

In order to release the brackets conveniently, means are provided for forcing the bracket upward by means of the clampingleVer. For this purpose the lever is provided with a link k, which can be engaged over the lug E. This link straddlcs the short arm of the lever to which it is pivoted and is placed with its opposite end upon the shoulder e2 of the lug. When the lever is closed against the bracket, as shown in Fig. 2, the link occupies a position between the lever and the web of the bracket. lVhen the lever is swung down, the link engages the end of the lug and is retained thereby. A further downward movement of the lever causes the lever to turn on the link as a fulcrum and raises the pivoted portion of the lever and the bracket to which it is attached, lifting the tapering portion of the latter out of the notch of thelug and the clampii1,fr-plate from the cover, as shown in Fig. 3. The hatten-strips illustrated herein are arranged in the same horizontal plane as the lugs E and are for this purpose provided with openings through which the lugs project. The latter are thus given a support before being clamped in place. This arrangement of the hatten-strips, however, is not essential, as they may be placed above the lugs, if desired.

To prevent ropes or cables from accidentally entering beneath the brackets and be- .ing caught between the same and the coaming, guard-lugs Z are provided at the lower end of each bracket for bridging the space between the bracket and the coaming.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of a lug adapted to be secured to the coaming, a clamping bracket guided on said lug, and a clamping-lever pivoted to the bracket and adapted to engage against the lug for tightening the bracket, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a lug adapted to be secured to the coaming, and provided with a rearwardly-inclined wedging-face,of a clamping-bracket provided with a `face which engages against said wedging-face,and a clamping-lever pivoted to the bracket and adapted to engage against the lug for tightening the bracket, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a lug adapted to be secured to the coaming and provided in its upper side with a notch having a wedgingface, of a clamping-bracket provided with a wedging portion which enters said notch as the bracket is forced down, and a clampinglever which is pivoted to the bracket and engages against the under side of the lug for forcing the bracket down, substantially as set forth.

et. The combination of a lug adapted to be secured to the coaming and provided on its upper side with a rearwardly-inclined wedgingface, of a clamping-bracket providing with a face which engages against said wed gin g-face, and a clampinglever pivoted to the lower portion of the bracket and provided with a short arm which bears against said lug and above said arm with an opening through which the lug projects when the lever is closed against the bracket,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a lug adapted to be secured to the coaming, a clamping-bracket guided on said lug, a clamping-leverpivoted to said bracket and adapted to engage against the lug for drawing the bracket down, and a link attached to the lever and adapted to engage the lug for forcing the bracket upward, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 16th day of April, 1901.

HENRY l. SMITH.

lVitnesses:

JNO. J. BONNER, JOHN T. WALSH.

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